The Functional Path is a path that had been traveled many times before but had fallen out of use in favor of smoother paved roads that promised faster and easier results. Seeking to follow and better define the functional path is a continuing journey, fortunately it is a journey that many have traveled before. Functional Path training is getting back to the basics of movement. It is learning to tune into the body and it’s inherent wisdom to produce rhythmic flowing movement.

3/28/08

Athletic Dark Holes

Some debate on the validity or concept of the dark hole in physics, there is no doubt that they exist in training athletes. Throughout my career I have had athletes disappear into dark holes never to reappear or if they did they were a shadow of their former selves. What is an athletic dark hole? Biased one sided training that emphasizes development of one physical quality to the exclusion of all others. The two biggest and most frequently occurring dark holes are strength training to the exclusion of everything else an emphasis on aerobic work to build a base that then takes away all explosiveness. Neither physical quality is bad unto themselves but without context they possess the potential to kill an athlete. All components of training must be trained during all phases of the training year in the context of the objectives of that phase and the needs of the individual athlete. No physical quality is an end unto itself, they all must interact with the result a synergistic effect producing a highly adaptable athlete.

7 Comments:

This mature person finds that the current theme in many places online is strength training circuits with less than 30 seconds between stations with interval training on off days, or the second workout of the day (which I do because I write a lot sitting on my physio-ball).

There is a drumbeat against aerobic cardio, something Dr. Cooper advocated back in the day.

If I must do intervals rather than steady-state cardio sessions, what I've come up with is alternating days of more and less intense intervals.

On my Lifecycle during our crummy winter-spring weather, a less intense day: 5 minutes warm-up; 55 minutes alternating 2 minutes at level 11, about 108 revolutions per minute with 1 minutes at level 10 at 100 revolutions. Since I have a heart monitor, I can make the intervals "reasonable."

On more intense days, I vary using the random setting which changes the resistance nearly every 10 seconds; I keep the revolutions at 100 at the low resistance levels and 106-8 at the higher resistance levels; or, up the ladder 9-10-11-12-13 one minute each; or, each 2 minutes 8-10-15-20 second all out "stingers"/bursts for 50-55 minutes; or, after a warm up, varying revolutions from 100-110 and varying resistance from 10-13, I do (in minutes) 2-1-2-1-2-1-2-2-2-1-2-2 3xs thru (this is pretty intense)

The message I'm sending is that as a 68-year-old I'm trying to fight gravity and often workout at levels prescribed for 35-year-olds because recommendations for my age are astoundingly easy.

A second message: a mature person interested in being lean, healthy and climbing to Lake Solitude in the Grand Tetons next August with three 30-year-olds puts together his own fitness routine.

You certainly are good at coining terms and phrases, but it does not hold good for most smart or experienced coaches. No one in his right mind will emphasize one physical quality over another. Program designs may differ but most coaches are not idiots as you claim. You make it sound like you are the one with all the answers.

To Anon who brought up Socrates - So Vern is Socrates eh? LOL. These are common strategies used by people who do not want to take a position on anything. So they use semantics and unquantifiable methods. Real coaches, produce real world results. We don't need philosophers we need genuine coaches.

About Me

Vern is currently is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems. He has been the a conditioning coach for several teams in Major League Soccer as well as the conditioning consultant to the US Men’s World Cup Soccer team. Vern is the former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox and Director of Athletic Development for the New York Mets. Vern is recognized internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport having worked with world class athletes and teams in a wide variety of sports. He is a popular speaker and writer on conditioning topics having lectured and conducted clinics in Canada, Japan, Australia and Europe. Vern's coaching experience spans 36 years at all levels of competition.
Vern has authored six books and over one hundred articles related to coaching and sport performance in a variety of sports. He received his BA from Fresno State University and his teaching credential with a coaching minor from University of California Santa Barbara. Vern obtained his MA in Education with an emphasis in physical education from Stanford University.